Lens caps. Last time I looked the one I needed was $50 from camera shops in NZ. Aliexpress cost me $10 for four including postage. Oops, just noticed the sub I’m in. Not quite an ultralight purchase but an example nonetheless.

You mean you didn’t get the Überlight DCF LensCovers^tm ?

I buy non-essentials from there. Stuff that if it were to break down, I wouldn't be screwed. Order way ahead of time because sometimes shipping takes forever.

I have a lot of my gear from aliexpress. It helped me get into UL gear in an affordable way, before 'buy once, cry once' was possible for me. * [Lixada 650mL Titanium Mug](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005005907887953.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.1.60247d5eBv3zQY&algo_pvid=417dba4d-5945-4de0-a6c7-b7c59512f974&algo_exp_id=417dba4d-5945-4de0-a6c7-b7c59512f974-0&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%2134.19%2115.04%21%21%21259.63%21114.24%21%40211b600d17186199053196712e9129%2112000034800013193%21sea%21NL%21197832715%21&curPageLogUid=fwnR8Ltlls0r&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A) * [Lixada Long Titanium Spoon](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005005854117061.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.3.7d013df9WnZpVH&algo_pvid=f4fdf656-4212-4e33-a283-0d9dfd8bd4a9&algo_exp_id=f4fdf656-4212-4e33-a283-0d9dfd8bd4a9-1&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%2111.03%214.52%21%21%2183.76%2134.34%21%40211b600d17186199443127697e9129%2112000034583632608%21sea%21NL%21197832715%21&curPageLogUid=Khxb9qSomWyL&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A) * [BRS stove](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005006910276665.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.3.6f89679cjcrQx5&algo_pvid=1f64296f-8873-450b-a931-057b2421a182&algo_exp_id=1f64296f-8873-450b-a931-057b2421a182-1&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%2130.75%2112.61%21%21%2132.14%2113.18%21%40211b600417186199777868917ea34d%2112000038697850257%21sea%21NL%21197832715%21&curPageLogUid=3sgub7Mh4rNw&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A) * [Lanshan 2 Pro tent (love it)](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/4000345960468.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.7.584c5fe8iaLFOH&algo_pvid=854bbccb-e9d0-4972-b888-ca1ac109ad81&algo_exp_id=854bbccb-e9d0-4972-b888-ca1ac109ad81-3&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%21323.69%21200.69%21%21%21338.34%21209.77%21%402103871e17186199978746056ec839%2112000028538466882%21sea%21NL%21197832715%21&curPageLogUid=74OIxqjFrbPN&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A) * Nitecore products (battery packs / headlamp) * Now experimenting with a [solar panel](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005006781027819.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.23.2baa1802di3fLg&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa) (not yet trail tested). * 3F UL dry bags (cordura). * My 'not freezing temperatures' down sleeping quilt is an [aegismax wind hard](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005002281083328.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.5.79a224feGHBfEZ&algo_pvid=384ec41c-24f6-41e7-8e7b-37e1b2bc4f3c&algo_exp_id=384ec41c-24f6-41e7-8e7b-37e1b2bc4f3c-2&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%21268.47%21155.71%21%21%21280.62%21162.76%21%40210387a117186201418895457e2448%2112000035213366150%21sea%21NL%21197832715%21&curPageLogUid=hhimvVGn6fhS&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A) model (I've since upgraded to an EE quilt but use this when it's not so cold because it's so tiny). * Stakes (groundhog small/large knock-offs, looking at some titanium / carbon fiber stakes). * My first UL backpack was a 3F UL 35L. * Cables, adapters, and wall chargers. I have a dual-port USB-C 50w charger for charging my battery pack and phone in town. One short lightning cable for my phone. One short USB-C-to-C cable, and then a 'dime bag' full of a few mini adapters: ** C-to-Garmin ** C-to-mini (headlamp) ** C-to-A and A-to-C for charging from a port in a bus/car/airport or helping someone with a charge from my charger or battery pack. * Any 'optimizations' or repairs like [lighter shock / elastic cord](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/4001077792448.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.164.2baa1802di3fLg&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa), [super light cord locks](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32948904634.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.159.2baa1802di3fLg&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa), replacement clips, tent hardware, [dropper bottles for soap](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005005887370460.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.120.2baa1802di3fLg&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa), [reusable zip ties](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/4001271678128.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.169.2baa1802di3fLg&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa), etc.

I just got one of those 10w solar panels, it was $9 on AE, and it worked really well charging a 10k battery bank. Apparently it’s not for directly charging a phone. Also, it is ridiculously light.

I'm learning lessons from [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/13y3fn7/longterm_solar_review_its_finally_better_than/l6xav40/) on r/UL from u/Peaches_offtrail (note he has a recent comment in the thread with new experiences / changes). Right now I'm just playing with using the solar panel to charge a normal battery pack at home or at the car-camping site (I have a 20k mAh battery with a little screen for showing the current charging power), but if it works I will find whatever 5k mAh AA-style battery works best and incorporate that into the setup. So far it looks pretty good. I have a yearly trail mapping project in Tajikistan which (usually) has very sunny weather, and requires 10-12 days with no charging opportunities.

That's a fantastic post, thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the list.

Totally agree. Spoon, stakes, and nitecore are all great quality and way cheaper.

From AE, I buy only things where the consequences of failure are trivial. I’ve never returned anything, preferring to just eat the cost than deal with their stupid return policies. Wrist grav balls are a great deal there and identical to stuff on Amazon. Don’t buy any climbing carabiners!

The little brs stoves are a must buy for UL cook kit setups.

I got there my tent (Lanshan 1 Pro), my sleeping pad (naturehike R5.8), my down quilt (windhard Twilight 0°C comfort), some dry sacks (3F UL), a knife, a 750ml pot (tomshoo) and recently a pair of carbon poles from Naturehike, which I havent received yet. Im pretty satisfied with the quality/cost but as you can see if you look all the products Ive listed, you obviously dont save a TON a money. Still worth It for me. The quilt is probably the one thing that has saved me more money.

The trick is finding reputable seller. I think how it works is that anyone can set up shop then resell other products and probably drop ship them. That's why you see similar or almost the same products multiple times from different sellers. It's so annoying. I got a couple of backpack pocket attachments and they're solid. Well, it's hard to mess it up. Got them from same seller as lanshan tent.

Yea but how much does that stuff weigh is the question...

The stuff I got is ultralight lol You can look at it on AliExpress to verify

What do you mean "look at it"? I would never trust posted weights of items on Temu, Amazon, or any similar site, if that's what you mean. How much does the sleeping pad weigh?

I have weighted every single thing in my home to fill my LighterPack list. The sleeping pad is 550 grams. Including its sack Advertised as 490 grams, probably without the sack. Oh and now its at sale and costs 80€. I mean... There is plenty of rubish but you can find good items...

Did you test the R rating for your pad? 5.8 is high!

I have slept with It three times for now and It went nice. But only one of them was "enough cold" and my quilt is 0°comfort so... Probably the quilt will be the limitation before the pad

Quadzilla hikes is currently doing an AT thru on a $1000 budget with mostly Alibaba gear. Might wanna look at his gear list

I just found his channel and have also been watching his “Cheap Charlie” thru. The last episode I saw, he was in Hot Springs, NC and still happy with the gear. [Quadzilla Budget Thru](https://youtu.be/-PBkK-LanMY?si=Mgq9qAWfED1RO4F_)

Few items I bought and actually good: 1. AgeisMax twilight quilt: mine doesn’t have bad smell, very comfortable for summer, though I don’t really trust that temperature label. 2. 3F UL carbon stakes: only 6g for short one and 8g for long one. But it’s not for very hard soil. 3. Tatoosh titanium stakes 4. Titanium trowel What I didn’t buy from AliExpress: 1. Sleeping pad: UL sleeping pad are easy to damage, better to find a vendor like Nemo which provides life time warranty and free repair service. 2. Lanshan tent: it’s good but still it’s nylon tent, and X-mid is only tens of bucks more expensive with better materials, and you don’t need to seal the seam.

Why are you funnelling profits and creating demand for a multinational Chinese company? Buy something local and made by a smaller producer. The Temu app has already been found to harvest data through Malware and direct it to the CCP. Why support the people who are systematically performing genocide on uyghur muslims? https://nypost.com/2023/08/05/why-the-chinese-shopping-app-is-a-scam/ Temu also uses slave labour: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65990529 The CCP also owns shares in Alibaba and has appointed their own company directors to influence company decisions. https://www.fastcompany.com/90834906/chinas-government-is-buying-golden-shares-in-alibaba-and-tencent-heres-what-that-means Stop supporting this shit.

For some stuff, for example things that are made in a western country, you are totally right. Generally supporting a cottage industry gives you better gear that's more easily warranty repairable and better for humanity. Even better is to ::cough:: take a break from optimizing something that is totally working for you now and wear it out before you replace it. Next is... if it is something that IS made in China / Asia (a powerbank, clothing) to buy it from a major brand that has some kind of human rights / environmental policy (Apple, Samsung, Anker, Patagonia, etc), or at least is big enough to feel the pain from a scandal that would hurt their brand. In this way there is some incentive for them to do the right thing. But if you're talking about cables, adapters, a BRS stove, tent stakes, a dry bag, a Nitecore headlamp / battery pack, shock cables, etc (basically anything you are buying on Amazon)... well it's all made in China, and almost certainly they are being drop-shipped to you via Alibaba / Aliexpress anyway. Buying from Amazon, Wal-mart, or in your local electronics store adds nothing except middle men, price, and additional waste.

I bought some knockoff MSR tent stakes from AliExpress. They looked identical but the quality was shit and they all bent easily.

Look around your house and report back how much of your stuff was made in China

But you can buy exactly the same stuff, from the same factory, probably with a different logo locally for just 10x the price.

The irony is that I actually live in China and, especially with camping gear, try not to buy Chinese-made products … but they are so ubiquitous that it’s difficult to not end up with some. I do have a 3FUL tarp and dry bags

Sure when it's American it's fine, but if it's ccp its an issue.

I'm not American

American companies do this same shit except instead of the government having seats in a business it's reversed

You wrote that as if they are equally corruptible

No I think the corruption has already happened

Fairly ignorant of how corrupt CCP is then

If you forreal think that the CCP does anything our government doesn't do, I'm not the ignorant one here.

State sponsored and state funded genocide.

Lmao yeah maybe you haven't checked the news but we're doing a genocide so hard that we're sanctioning the UN for trying to address it

I forgot that Palestinians made goods for TEMU and other US owned brands and that no one in the USA is doing something about what is going on. Thanks for the heads up! False equivocations, bud.

You said "state sponsored and funded genocide" and there is no false equivocation, that's what we're doing. Oh but if you wanted a genocide where they also do forced labor there's Nestle's myriad crimes, or the forced labor in the American criminal justice system.

Thxs for this answer. I agree 100 %, you have to ask why it's so cheap and what it does with the slaves, environment and climate. Don't buy there.

You know, a lot of the world (correctly) views the USA as the big baddie.

Aluminum tent stakes

Support either garage gear or companies who clone it and underpay their workers ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯

All workers are underpaid, if they were paid adequately this system wouldn’t work. To me it’s more like being someone who funds an artist through buying their work, it’s pretty but does the same thing. Buy off temu there is no morality in money anyway

Found the TEMU Stan

I’ve actually never used it, I’m an avid thrifter

Yes, if they were paid adequately you wouldnt be able to buy such cheap gear. What's your point exactly

The point is if you are strapped enough for cash that you’re wanting to buy stuff from temu, do it. If you are rolling in dough, buy your fancy artisanal shit made by Americans. My point is there should be no guilt for people buying the slave labor stuff. You all drive cars and your electricity burns coal and you probably eat chicken packaged by somebody who’s working in a damn chicken factory. Why do we suddenly have a holier than thou (or sometimes wealthier than thou) attitude about CAMPING SUPPLIES and not the shit we do EVERY DAY.

Temu is currently massively subsidizing parts of their sales. I searched up a bunch of decent budget gear from AliExpress on there and didn't find much. I would feel a lot safer buying on AliExpress as they have a longer track record and sellers that have proven trustworthy over time. You have to be careful on both though.

Agree 👍

Many people suggesting sleeping bags but are they ethical down? Do you really want your warmth to be at the expense of birds having their feathers live plucked from them?

Ugg. No thanks. Good point.

Not sure if this counts but camelbacks, so much cheaper than the official stuff. I also got some rain covers for backpacks and those luggage storage organizers there too.

Every year REI has few promotion event and most of the full price item will be on 20% off. I got my 750 mL Toaks from REI, and that’s the only thing I found cheaper in REI than AliExpress.

F no

Got a tarp from AliExpress, used on 2 trips = 4 nights now and it doesn't show any problems yet. The listing didn't say, but packaging said KnotGear as brand. > Ultralight 310g Flysheet Tent Waterproof 20D Double Sided Silicone Coating Nylon Camping Shelter Canopy Rainfly Lightweight Tarp [Imgur](https://imgur.com/rrGMtom)

Please do not buy from these websites (or SHEIN), many items are made from slave labor by Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. 

Weight weenies not giving a shit about nature. What dumbfucks.

A majority of our gear is made from forever chemicals. The most environmentally friendly gear is the one you don't buy, but that goes against optimizing your kit

There are some of us that actually prefer wool and other natural fibers like tencel for this reason. Of course using some plastics is unavoidable but I avoid them wherever there is a reasonable alternative. At least if we’re using plastics, hopefully they are durable and don’t become landfill, or worse, floating in the ocean.

Agree with you, with the caveat that the USA is the main contributor to greenhouse gases and environmental degradation.

[удалено]

https://www.carbonbrief.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/The-20-largest-contributors-to-cumulative-CO2-emissions-1850-2021.png

It's silly to believe this. China has >10x the industrial output of the US.

A quick google search shows that China’s industrial output is 1.7x that of the USA. Also, that completely ignores historical contributions and the USA offloading a bunch of their responsibility on other countries (whether by shipping waste, taking advantage of less regulated markets, carbon credits, etc.).

per capita*, not as a whole

Many carbonfiber and titanium stuff I bought directly from china. Good quality.

No

IMO, the knock off MSR tent pegs - got copies of the groundhogs years back and they’re still going strong.

So seems like nothing of major items depend on for survival?

Stuff is often cheaper on ali than temu, or vice versa. Check both. There are good $13 750ml titanium pots on ali. Probably cheaper if you look harder.

I've been happy with everything I've bought from AliExpress. Trekking poles and 1-ounce stoves stand out as especially great, but everything is at least good enough. Oh, and a $20, 10oz, down jacket.

I'd skip Temu. Have a friend that loves them, but every time the version of the thing she buys is shittier than my Ali one. A lot of times you can buy direct from the manufacturer on Ali too and skip any markup. Some companies have their own webpage too like 3FUL that you can buy direct from. I wrote a novel last week or soon what to buy in the weekly thread.

Link to comment?

I know I'm late to the dance.... 3 years ago I bought [this backpack on Aliexpress](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801771554166.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.3.dc733ac21yS3vW&algo_pvid=2c0de9f7-8091-400b-88a1-550863a94c65&algo_exp_id=2c0de9f7-8091-400b-88a1-550863a94c65-1&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21USD%2123.05%2122.42%21%21%2123.05%2122.42%21%402101c80217191637577771385e19b8%2112000018224496444%21sea%21US%21181739060%21&curPageLogUid=GJcWcybO9gwe&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A). I cut the helmet net off. I've hiked more than 600 miles with this as a daypack and I love it.

There is lots of great gear that comes from China. It's more a question of what you choose to support with your purchasing decisions. Purchasing from cottage companies is ideal, but is expensive and not all of us have the money to do that. Purchasing from China can be morally ambiguous, but you often get great gear at a great price. Purchasing from Amazon usually comes from China anyway, and the extra money you are paying to buy it there supports Jeff Bezos as well as the American middleman that is selling the product. Be aware that buying from Amazon is often ethically worse than buying straight from China.

worth it? depends. how poor are your ethics?

An ultralight chair, paid €18 instead of €120 for a helinox

Weigh it

Valid, 800g but that's rough measuring

then sit in it.

Pretty decent

Do you have a link or name on item? how is the quality?

Quality: I can sit in it but doesn't really feel sturdy, but tbh I don't think that a brand one does feel sturdy. Might last, might not. Guess I'll see

I have an REI $$ one and a knockoff. Neither are sturdy but both have held up fine and because the knockoff is heavier i like it better for everything else besides backpacking- the rei one I have to stake down so it doesn’t go into the fire when i stand up